Olympus Tough TG-5 - Review 2022

Olympus cameras take enjoyed the top spot in our waterproof category since the introduction of the TG-1. The 5th iteration, the aptly named TG-5 ($449.99), raises the performance bar thanks to the addition of 4K video capture and 20fps Raw shooting, but keeps the basic pattern and lens from previous models. It's priced higher than the TG-four that came before it, but it's the all-time rugged camera you can buy, and our Editors' Pick.

Design and Features

The TG-5, available in black or cherry, has a few physical changes from previous models, but maintains the same form gene. It measures 2.6 past iv.4 by i.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.viii ounces. The lens sits at the eye of the trunk, unlike other tough cameras that place it in a corner, so in that location's room for a mounting ring for accessory lenses and flashes. Olympus sells fish-centre and telephoto conversion lenses, as well ring lights that redirect and diffuse the camera's LED or Xenon flash to environs the lens for macro work.

The lens itself sets it apart from many competing models. Information technology's a broad aperture design, capturing a field of view equivalent to a 25mm full-frame lens at its widest, with an f/2 aperture to assistance you continue the ISO depression when shooting in dim light. The 4x zoom pattern means that the telephoto end matches a 100mm lens in field of view, with a maximum f/iv.ix aperture. It'south not quite the low-calorie-free star at the telephoto end as it is the wide, so call back to stay zoomed out when shooting in dim light.

The lens also has a pretty killer macro capability. Switching to the dedicated macro setting enables Microscope way. It zooms the lens in very slightly, tightening the field of view and narrowing the maximum aperture to f/ii.3. You'll be able to focus on subjects that nigh impact the lens in this mode, projecting subjects onto the pocket-sized one/2.iii-inch image sensor at two.ix times life-size at the widest setting and closest focus, and at 11.1x life-size when zoomed all the mode in and focused every bit close as possible. Even with a small sensor, focusing this close limits depth of field. There is congenital-in focus bracketing and focus stacking, which volition capture and, in the case of the latter setting, combine multiple exposures at different focus points in lodge to get more of your macro subject in crisp focus.

Aside from its lens, the TG-5'southward marquee feature is its rugged build. Olympus rates it for use equally deep every bit fifty feet underwater, states that information technology will survive seven-foot drops and 220 foot-pounds of pressure, and piece of work in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. We didn't accept an opportunity to exam the camera to its extremes, merely information technology did survive numerous drops from breast height and a few baths in my kitchen sink. Nothing bankrupt or cracked at whatsoever point, but we did notice that the rear LCD picked upwards a few scratches subsequently spending some time bouncing around a handbag with some other items—that's a potential issue for a camera that's going to finish up in embankment numberless and purses.

The TG-5 can piece of work in full automatic mode, so you don't demand to know annihilation about f-stops and ISO settings to go it to deliver good photos. But it also offers some level of transmission command for experienced photographers, even if information technology falls shy of offering a true full transmission exposure mode. The rear Mode dial sits flat against the torso and offers pick for Plan and Aperture shooting, in add-on to macro, underwater, scene, custom, and movie options. But it omits support for Shutter priority and full Manual.

Other rear controls include Record for on-the-fly video capture (though you'll demand to switch the Way dial to the pic position if you desire to record 4K), Info, Carte, and Play buttons, and a four-fashion controller with a middle OK button. Each of its directional presses has a part—EV compensation, flash control, drive, and the Shortcut button. The latter is used to switch scene modes, art filters, or similar options without having to back in and out of the card.

There are some changes on the pinnacle plate. The On/Off button and shutter release are in roughly the same place equally they are with the TG-iv, merely instead of a dissever zoom lever to the right of the shutter, zoom is now controlled by a switch that surrounds the release. This is a more traditional design choice for a compact. In the identify of the old zoom lever you go a acme control dial, similar to the function of the dial you lot get in an SLR. In Program way it offers direct EV control, making information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to brighten or darken a scene, and in Discontinuity way information technology changes the f-stop.

The other addition to the top plate is the Log switch. Turning on the Log leverages the in-camera GPS to track your path and movements, even when you lot're not taking pictures. It'due south a solid tool for hikers who want to map their path forth a trail.

The rear LCD is a iii-inch panel with a 460k-dot resolution and no touch back up. The lack of touch input is understandable; it could compromise the waterproofing, and impact tech doesn't work underwater. The resolution is a petty surprising. You wait premium from a camera at this price point, and the 460k-dot display isn't as crisp every bit you run across in other cameras at this range. The Catechism PowerShot G9 X Mark 2, which isn't rugged merely is priced in the aforementioned ballpark, has a ane,040k-dot LCD, for example.

Wi-Fi and GPS are congenital-in; the latter will add location data to images when turned on. You tin can use the Wi-Fi arrangement to transfer images to an Android or iOS device, or utilise your phone as a wireless remote control. To enable Wi-Fi, hold the Carte du jour button downwards for a few seconds; the photographic camera volition broadcast a network, which you can connect to using your telephone. The aforementioned transmission settings available when using the photographic camera handheld are available when decision-making via your phone; you lot can even adjust the zoom and tap on your phone'south screen to gear up the focus betoken.

Olympus doesn't include an external charger for the TG-5'south battery. Instead you're expected to charge it in camera, via a standard micro USB connection and included cablevision, protected by a double locking door on the left side of the body, which as well covers a micro HDMI port. A similar door on the bottom houses the battery and the SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot.

Performance and Prototype Quality

Olympus Tough TG-5 : Benchmark Tests The TG-v is built for speed. Information technology starts, locks focus, and takes a motion-picture show in almost 0.ix-second, a speedy result for a compact. It can also capture images very fast, at 19.5fps in our tests, but simply for short bursts—xiv Raw+JPG, 19 Raw, or 27 JPGs at a time. If that level of speed is overkill, you tin set the TG-5 to shoot at a more reasonable 10fps or 5fps. It also supports Pro Capture, which buffers a limited number of frames as long equally you concord the shutter halfway down. Pushing information technology in all the way saves the buffered shots to the card, and continues to shoot live action.

Simply a reminder, focus and exposure are locked later on the get-go shot when working in outburst or Pro Capture; yous still demand an SLR or mirrorless camera to keep a moving discipline in crisp focus at a high frame rate. The focus system is quick to lock on, though, doing so in about 0.1-2d. Y'all can prepare the photographic camera to automatically select a focus point, track a subject field equally it moves, or manually choose a focus expanse. I institute the tracking to be ineffective in real-earth testing, but both manual and automatic focus pick work well. I was disappointed by how limited the range of manual selection is, you merely get access to ix boxes, bunched at the center of the frame.

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I used Imatest to check the sharpness of images delivered by the TG-5's lens and 12MP sensor. The resolution is a step dorsum from the past couple models, which used 16MP fries, a design choice that improves image quality at higher ISO settings and also allows for native 4K video capture.

At 25mm f/2 the zoom scores 1,830 lines per flick top on Imatest's standard eye-weighted sharpness test. Epitome quality is strong through much of the frame, but edges are a bit soft (1,549 lines). That's actually typical for a meaty camera. You lot can go slightly better image quality at f/2.viii (2,096 lines), which is the setting I recommend using in all simply dim light, and thank you to the depression pixel count diffraction doesn't cut into quality at the minimum f/viii setting; the camera notwithstanding does a solid chore there, 2,145 lines, only be careful to just utilize information technology under bright light. Any gains in sharpness can exist negated by the noise introduced at higher ISO sensitivity.

The discontinuity narrows to f/3.2 at the 50mm position. Information technology loses a flake of resolution, falling beneath our 1,800-line standard of acceptability, and scores ane,600 lines on average. Y'all tin narrow the f-cease to f/4.v, a fine setting for shooting in brighter lite, and improve image quality—the lens scores 1,924 lines when stopped downwardly. At the minimum f/13 aperture information technology's fifty-fifty ameliorate, 2,028 lines.

At the maximum zoom the widest f-stop is f/iv.ix. Images are a little soft, i,707 lines, at this setting. Narrowing the aperture doesn't exercise anything good—the resolution drops to i,600 lines at f/six.3, and 1,595 lines at the minimum f/18 setting.

Imatest also checks photos for racket. The TG-5 has a broad ISO range for a compact, starting at ISO 100 and going all the fashion to ISO 12800. Racket is curbed, kept under 1.5 percent, when shooting JPGs through ISO 1600. There's certainly some smudges that wipe abroad very fine detail at this setting, but prototype quality is still solid for a camera with a sensor of this size and resolution. The best quality JPGs, which show very little loss of clarity, are captured through ISO 400. On the other side of ISO 1600, we run across more than meaning blur at ISO 3200, and JPG shooting at ISO 6400 and ISO 12800 is inadvisable.

The TG-5 supports Raw capture, which doesn't apply in-camera racket reduction, so y'all get sharper shots at high ISO, at the cost of some actress grain. Results are strong through ISO 1600, without the blurring we run into in JPG shots. If you don't mind a grainy look you can certainly push button to ISO 3200. Results at ISO 6400 are quite rough, but detail shines through. ISO 12800 seems like a span as well far, even when shooting in Raw, as dissonance is large and splotchy, wiping away detail.

The improver of 4K video is a big deal to some, as it'southward an uncommon feature in compact cameras. You are limited to shooting at 30fps, and the frame is cropped a fleck so your wide-angle coverage is limited. But video quality is strong, with well-baked details and a loftier 75Mbps fleck rate. Optical stabilization does a practiced task of keeping handheld footage steady, and while the audio of the lens zooming in and out is audible on the soundtrack, it's non overwhelming.

If yous don't need 4K y'all can shoot at 1080p at 60 or 30fps, or at 720p at 30fps. There'due south also a slow-motion way that captures 1080p at 120fps, 720p at 240fps, and 480p at 480fps, all for playback at 30fps. Like 4K, all of these modes ingather the width of the video frame.

Conclusions

The Olympus Tough TG-5 delivers a good number of features missing from previous iterations, but also costs $80 more than than the last version of the camera, which is no longer in production. For the extra money you get a 12MP image sensor that, while a step dorsum in resolution, is a step frontward in low-calorie-free image capture. The camera also benefits from very fast shooting, at close to 20fps even in Raw format, and 4K video capture. Yous also become everything we've loved from previous versions—a tough, all-weather build, Wi-Fi and GPS, and a brilliant f/two lens that captures more light than most other tough cameras. Yes, it'southward a lot to spend on a betoken-and-shoot, but the TG-5 is tough, capable, and waterproof. Information technology'due south our Editors' Choice amid rugged models.